To Your Health
"To Your Health" is the sixth episode of the first season, and the first episode overall of the HBO television series Oz. Theme This episode deals with the subject of health. With the idea of starting a unit for senior citizens, Ricardo Alvarez's Alzheimer's, and Kareem Said's heart attack. Summary The staff realize that they are not dealing with senior inmates very well, so they decide to give them a senior citizens unit, with no success. McManus starts behaving strangely and is somewhat permanently attached to Em City. Rebadow decides to leave with God's aid but fails. Ricardo Alvarez has Alzheimer's, and Mukada and Sister Pete debate that he should be released. Schillinger grows tired of Beecher and decides to get rid of him. O'Reily gives Beecher PCP and he takes a stand against Schillinger. O'Reily and Adebisi know that Schibetta is driving a wedge between them, so they come up with a plan to kill him. Basketball star Jackson Vahue comes to Oz and Augustus Hill, whose role model he is, tries to win his respect, but Vahue gets him to take drugs to prove his loyalty. Said succumbs to a heart attack and Huseni Mershah, who does not share Said's enthusiasm, decides to let him die. Plot Narrations 6% of the prison population is 55 or older. That's double 10 years ago. And we say 55 is old because criminal life adds about ten years worth of wrinkles. Still; in Oz, you get decent food, exercise, regular check-ups. And if you don't get whacked, you'll live longer than you would in your own hood. Yeah, the prison system. It can keep you alive, but it can't take care of you. You know, you don't even have to be 55 to be old. The human body. It's amazing. Made up of all these cells and neutrons and veins and shit like that. So many little pieces, so many things that could break down. And add onto that the wear and tear we give our bodies, what with the drugs and drinking and chicken-fried steak. Man, that any of us are still standing, still breathing, it's a miracle. Prisoner number 43A515, Ricardo Alvarez. Convicted March 3, '43. Armed robbery. Sentence: 20 years. Convicted June 6, '61. Murder in the first degree. Sentence: Life imprisonment, solitary confinement. Do we care for people when they're sick because we actually care about them? Or do we care for them because when our time comes, we want someone to care for us? Or does it matter? At least you got your health. Don't you hate it when people say that?! I mean, you lose your job, your lose your wife, you're in prison, and some punk-ass dude gonna say "at least you got your health." Like that's supposed to make you feel better! So what if I'm broke, so what if some drug dealer wants to cap my ass? At least I ain't got a tumor! I swear, the next person that says ALYGYH to me, I'm gonna make sure they ain't got their health much longer. The mind is just like the body. It's under constant assault, from fear and hate and a whole pile of loneliness. These things are as deadly as any cancer cell. The mind is just like the body. The fact that the mind can survive is a- is a miracle. People say "she broke my heart". That's bullshit, man! The heart can't break, it's a muscle. Muscles tear, muscles cramp. Yeah, the heart's a muscle. So's the brain. So's the dick. I was addicted to crack. Then I had my accident. Lying in the hospital bed, I went through detox. But that was easy. The doctors had me on morphine, demerol, percodan. I didn't know I was in pain. I didn't know I was in the hospital, paralyzed. Then I came here and went into counselling. I take it one day at a time, you know? But every day, I think about drugs. About not doing drugs. Every single day, every single hour, every single minute. Staying straight has become my obsession. My new addiction. Prisoner number 57V988, Jackson Vahue. Convicted August 17, '97. Attempted rape, assault. Sentence: 12 years. Up for parole in 5. Prisoner number 97M688, Huseni Mershah, also known as James Monroe Madison. Convicted August 11, '97. Attempted murder, Assault in the first degree. Sentence: 20 years, up for parole in 3. All those little aches and pains, eventually they add up to something. Body, mind. Body, mind. They gotta work together or they don't work at all. You gotta take care of your body. You gotta take care of your mind. You gotta love your body. Most people don't. Most people hate their bodies. You gotta get your mind to love your body. Even if you're fat around the neck. Or even if things don't work like they're supposed to, you gotta love your body. Because it's all you got to hold on to. It's all you got. I'll make a deal with you: I'll love your body if you love mine. Deceased Unnamed Haitian (flashback)- Stabbed repeatedly in chest by Ricardo Alvarez. Crime Flashbacks * [[Ricardo Alvarez|'Ricardo Alvarez']]- Armed Robbery, Murder in the first degree * [[Jackson Vahue|'Jackson Vahue']]- Attempted Rape, Assault * [[Huseni Mershah|'Huseni Mershah']]-Attempted murder, assault in the first degree. Production Transcript Category:Episodes Category:Season 1 episodes